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After two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Billy Wilder (screenplay), I.A.L. Diamond (screenplay) | 2 more credits »
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Popularity
1,529 ( 349)
Top Rated Movies #136 | Won 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 15 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marilyn Monroe ... Sugar Kane Kowalczyk
Tony Curtis ... Joe / Josephine / Shell Oil Junior
Jack Lemmon ... Jerry / Daphne
George Raft ... Spats Colombo
Pat O'Brien ... Detective Mulligan
Joe E. Brown ... Osgood Fielding III
Nehemiah Persoff ... Little Bonaparte
Joan Shawlee ... Sweet Sue
Billy Gray Billy Gray ... Sig Poliakoff
George E. Stone ... Toothpick Charlie
Dave Barry ... Bienstock
Mike Mazurki ... Spats' Henchman
Harry Wilson ... Spats' Henchman
Beverly Wills ... Dolores
Barbara Drew Barbara Drew ... Nellie
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Storyline

After two Chicago musicians, Joe and Jerry, witness the the St. Valentine's Day massacre, they want to get out of town and get away from the gangster responsible, Spats Colombo. They're desperate to get a gig out of town but the only job they know of is in an all-girl band heading to Florida. They show up at the train station as Josephine and Daphne, the replacement saxophone and bass players. They certainly enjoy being around the girls, especially Sugar Kane Kowalczyk who sings and plays the ukulele. Joe in particular sets out to woo her while Jerry/Daphne is wooed by a millionaire, Osgood Fielding III. Mayhem ensues as the two men try to keep their true identities hidden and Spats Colombo and his crew show up for a meeting with several other crime lords. Written by garykmcd

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Marilyn Monroe and her bosom companions... Tony Curtis... Jack Lemmon. See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Music | Romance

Certificate:

Passed | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Spats Colombo is in several ways reminiscent to the notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone. Capone was responsible for the Saint Valentine's Day massacre in 1929, in which his rival gang members were gunned down in a nearly identical fashion as shown in the film. The massacre occurred in a Chicago warehouse on Clark Street, which is also mentioned in the film. See more »

Goofs

In the opening, four hoodlums are riding in the hearse and they hear a police siren behind them. Two of them look out the back window and it is apparent that there is no glass in the window. A second later a bullet smashes the window and, when they look out again, the window is not only broken, but very dirty. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Mulligan: All right, Charlie; that the joint?
Toothpick Charlie: Yes, sir.
Mulligan: Who runs it?
Toothpick Charlie: I already told you.
Mulligan: Refresh my memory.
Toothpick Charlie: Spats Columbo.
Mulligan: That's very refreshing; what's the password?
Toothpick Charlie: "I've come to Grandma's funeral." Here's your admission card.
[he gives Mulligan a mourning armband]
[...]
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Alternate Versions

Video version contains extended exit music after the film. See more »

Connections

Referenced in M*A*S*H: None Like It Hot (1978) See more »

Soundtracks

By the Beautiful Sea
(1914) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Carroll
Lyrics by Harold Atteridge
Performed by Society Syncopators
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User Reviews

 
Marilyn Monroe. Enough said.
4 January 2014 | by silva-w-piusSee all my reviews

"Movies should be like amusement parks" filmmaker Billy Wilder once said "People should go to them to have fun". So If Some Like It Hot was an amusement park: it would Thorpe Park, mixed in with Legoland, added with a dash of Disney land. Some Like It Hot is the granddaddy of comedies, the Godfather of laughs and the Mike Tyson of punch lines. Heck! Watching this film is like getting into the ring with Muhammad Ali, as you're constantly hit with fast paced gags. Even when you're least expecting it you're hit with a punch line so funny it leaves your side aching, or a piece of slapstick comedy that leaves your eyes running. Even the fade out line has been regarded as the funniest and most famous in history. Once you hear it, you'll guarantee never ever, ever to forget it. Trust me, it's hilarious!

After playing witness to a routine gangland shooting, two penniless Chicago musicians, Joe and jerry decide it is the perfect opportunity, to remain safe and get paid a easy buck when they decide to take up residence in an all girl band heading to Florida, crossed-dressed as Josephine (Tony Curtis) and Daphne (Jack Lemmon). But with the only simple aim of getting paid and avoiding the mob, things soon get a little more tricky when a ditsy singer named Sugar (Marilyn Monroe) captures the heart of' Josephine' and a eccentric playboy millionaire falls for 'Daphne'.

Some Like It Hot is one of those rare occasions, where everyone involved is at the very peak of their powers. Billy Wilder's directing is subtle but instrumental in loading every scene with comedic material ready to pop out like a wound up jack in the box. The writing is excellent, it constantly moves at a furious pace. Imagine Usain bolt on roller blades with jet pack attached to his back, and still that's not even as fast as how the dialogue rips through every scene. People may say that the comedy is too high concept, but for me that's the very reason it's so damn funny , as well a begin genius, because it means that the jokes will stand the test of time and span all generations because it's so easy to understand. Anyway who likes having jokes explained to them? No one!

But you can't talk about Some Like It Hot, without mentioning Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, who were absolutely perfect for their roles, each adding a feeling of assuredness to theirs, as well as bucket full's of originality with every facial expression as well as every line. Initially I was not convinced by Marilyn Monroe, as I felt she was slightly overrated, but in her role as Sugar, she brings a lot of composure to the role adding balance to the high energy of Tony and Jack, but still getting her laughs not through straight jokes but by simply being able to deliverer every air headed line with great delivery and timing. Whilst still being able to remain sweet, helpless and innocent, even as she plunges picks into a solid cube of ice with great fury, as she talks about her weakness for Saxophone players.

Some Like It Hot it like a magician of comedy, you never know what to expect next, as with every new scene you so excitedly anticipate what piece of comedic magic it will pull out of its sleeve. For me Some Like It Hot is the funniest comedy film I have ever seen, even though it is almost 55 years old, its comedy is still so accessible and funny too!


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 March 1959 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Not Tonight, Josephine! See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$2,883,848 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$195,088
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Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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